There have been a lot of popular players that have donned the power blue in recent years but none of them are as big of a what-if as Jason Verrett. The Chargers took Verrett in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft and it was clear that the sky was the limit for the talented corner.
Verrett proved that in his sophomore season when he turned in a Pro Bowl effort in 14 games played. It appeared that the Chargers had their corner of the future and that the injuries that kept him off the field in his rookie year would not be a long-term concern.
Those injuries did end up being a long-term concern as the injury bug swallowed Verrett. Verrett played just four games in his third season and one game in his fourth season. The Chargers accepted his fifth-year player option and he missed the entire season.
The San Francisco 49ers then took a chance on Verrett in 2019 and continued to take chances on him. He played one game in 2019, 13 games in 2020, one game in 2021 and missed all of the 2022 season while under contract. After yet another missed season, it appeared that Verrett's NFL career was indeed over.
It might not be, though. Nothing is set in stone yet but former 49ers defensive coordinator Demeco Ryans (who is now the head coach of the Houston Texans) is at least giving Verrett a chance.
The #Texans worked out veteran CBs Anthony Averett and Jason Verrett today along with LB Kyron Johnson.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 6, 2023
Former Chargers fan favorite Jason Verrett works out with the Texans
While Verrett did not see the field very often with the Chargers he did still manage to become a fan favorite. Fans were very aware of the natural ability that Verrett possessed and every time that he would go out with an injury it felt like a gut punch to the fanbase.
There have been a lot of disappointing draft picks under Tom Telesco and Verrett might top the list. It is not even Verrett's (or the team's) fault, either. Sometimes injuries just happen and someone cannot make the most of their natural talent.
It would be nice for Chargers fans to see Verrett get one more chance in the NFL. The Texans succeeding doesn't really have a direct impact on the Chargers and if Verrett could return then who knows what other doors it would open for the rest of his career.